Book of Jasher, Chapter 15 — Famine in Canaan; Sarai Hidden in a Chest; Abram and Sarai in Egypt; Lot Parts from Abram
1And in that year there was a heavy famine throughout the land of Canaan, and the inhabitants of the land could not remain there because of the famine, for it was very severe.
2And Abram and all who belonged to him rose and went down to Egypt because of the famine; and when they were at the brook Mitzraim, they remained there some time, to rest from the weariness of the road.
3And Abram and Sarai were walking at the border of the brook Mitzraim, and Abram looked at his wife Sarai, and saw that she was very beautiful.
4And Abram said to his wife Sarai, Since God has created you with so beautiful a countenance, I am afraid of the Egyptians, lest they kill me and take you away — for the fear of God is not in these places.
5Do this, then: say you are my sister to all who ask you, so that it may be well with me, and we may live and not be put to death.
6And Abram commanded the same to all who came with him to Egypt because of the famine; his nephew Lot too he commanded, saying, If the Egyptians ask you about Sarai, say she is the sister of Abram.
7And yet, with all these orders, Abram did not put his confidence in them; but he took Sarai and placed her in a chest, and concealed it among their goods — for Abram was greatly concerned about Sarai, because of the wickedness of the Egyptians.
8And Abram and all who belonged to him rose up from the brook Mitzraim and came to Egypt; and they had scarcely entered the gates of the city when the guards stood before them, saying, Give a tithe to the king from what you have, and then you may come into the town. And Abram and those who were with him did so.
9And Abram, with the people who were with him, came to Egypt; and when they came, they brought the chest in which Sarai was concealed, and the Egyptians saw the chest.
10And the king's servants approached Abram, saying, What do you have here in this chest, which we have not seen? Open the chest now, and give a tithe to the king of all it contains.
11And Abram said, This chest I will not open; but whatever you assess upon it, I will give. And Pharaoh's officers answered Abram, saying, It is a chest of precious stones — give us a tenth of it.
12And Abram said, All that you desire I will give — but you must not open the chest.
13And the king's officers pressed Abram, and they reached the chest and opened it by force; and they saw, and behold, a beautiful woman was in the chest.
14And when the officers of the king beheld Sarai, they were struck with wonder at her beauty; and all the princes and servants of Pharaoh assembled to see Sarai, for she was very beautiful. And the king's officers ran and told Pharaoh all they had seen, and they praised Sarai to the king; and Pharaoh ordered her to be brought, and the woman came before the king.
15And Pharaoh beheld Sarai, and she pleased him exceedingly, and he was struck with her beauty; and the king rejoiced greatly on her account, and gave presents to those who had brought him the news of her.
16And the woman was then brought to Pharaoh's house; and Abram grieved on account of his wife, and he prayed to the Lord to deliver her from the hands of Pharaoh.
17And Sarai also prayed at that time, and said, O Lord God — you told my lord Abram to go from his land and from his father's house to the land of Canaan, and you promised to do well with him if he performed your commands. Now behold, we have done what you commanded us: we left our land and our families, and we went to a strange land, and to a people we have not known before.
18And we came to this land to escape the famine, and this evil chance has befallen me. Now therefore, O Lord God, deliver us and save us from the hand of this oppressor, and deal well with me for the sake of your mercy.
19And the Lord listened to the voice of Sarai, and the Lord sent an angel to deliver Sarai from the power of Pharaoh.
20And the king came and sat before Sarai — and behold, an angel of the Lord was standing over them; and he appeared to Sarai and said to her, Do not fear, for the Lord has heard your prayer.
21And the king approached Sarai and said to her, What is that man to you, who brought you here? And she said, He is my brother.
22And the king said, Then it is our duty to make him great, to elevate him, and to do to him all the good you command us. And at that time the king sent to Abram silver and gold and precious stones in abundance, together with cattle, menservants, and maidservants; and the king ordered Abram to be brought, and he sat in the court of the king's house, and the king greatly exalted Abram that night.
23And the king approached to speak to Sarai, and he reached out his hand to touch her — and the angel struck him heavily, and he was terrified, and he refrained from reaching toward her.
24And whenever the king came near Sarai, the angel struck him to the ground, and did this to him the whole night; and the king was terrified.
25And the angel that night struck heavily all the servants of the king and his whole household, on account of Sarai; and there was great lamentation that night among the people of Pharaoh's house.
26And Pharaoh, seeing the evil that had befallen him, said, Surely on account of this woman has this thing happened to me; and he removed himself some distance from her, and spoke pleasing words to her.
27And the king said to Sarai, Tell me, I pray you, about the man with whom you came here. And Sarai said, This man is my husband; and I said to you that he was my brother because I was afraid, lest you put him to death through wickedness.
28And the king kept away from Sarai, and the plagues of the angel of the Lord ceased from him and his household; and Pharaoh knew that he had been struck on account of Sarai, and the king was greatly astonished at this.
29And in the morning the king called for Abram and said to him, What is this you have done to me? Why did you say, She is my sister — so that I took her for myself as a wife, and this heavy plague came upon me and my household?
30Now therefore, here is your wife: take her and go from our land, lest we all die on her account. And Pharaoh took more cattle, menservants and maidservants, and silver and gold, to give to Abram; and he returned Sarai his wife to him.
31And the king took a maiden whom he had fathered by his concubines, and he gave her to Sarai as a handmaid.
32And the king said to his daughter, It is better for you, my daughter, to be a handmaid in this man's house than to be mistress in my house — after we have seen the evil that befell us on account of this woman.
33And Abram arose, and he and all who belonged to him went away from Egypt; and Pharaoh ordered some of his men to accompany him and all who went with him.
34And Abram returned to the land of Canaan, to the place where he had made the altar, where he had first pitched his tent.
35And Lot the son of Haran, Abram's brother, had a heavy stock of cattle, flocks and herds and tents, for the Lord was bountiful to them on account of Abram.
36And while Abram was dwelling in the land, the herdsmen of Lot quarreled with the herdsmen of Abram, for their property was too great for them to remain together in the land, and the land could not bear them because of their cattle.
37And when Abram's herdsmen went to feed their flock, they would not go into the fields of the people of the land; but the cattle of Lot's herdsmen did otherwise, for they were allowed to feed in the fields of the people of the land.
38And the people of the land saw this happening daily, and they came to Abram and quarreled with him on account of Lot's herdsmen.
39And Abram said to Lot, What is this you are doing to me — making me despised by the inhabitants of the land, by ordering your herdsmen to feed your cattle in the fields of other people? Do you not know that I am a stranger in this land among the children of Canaan? Why do you do this to me?
40And Abram quarreled with Lot daily on account of this; but Lot would not listen to Abram, and he continued to do the same, and the inhabitants of the land came and told Abram.
41And Abram said to Lot, How long will you be a stumbling block to me with the inhabitants of the land? Now I beg you — let there be no more quarreling between us, for we are kinsmen.
42But I pray you, separate from me: go and choose a place where you may dwell with your cattle and all that belongs to you; only keep yourself at a distance from me, you and your household.
43And do not be afraid in going from me — for if anyone does you an injury, let me know, and I will avenge your cause upon him; only move away from me.
44And when Abram had spoken all these words to Lot, Lot arose and lifted up his eyes toward the plain of Jordan.
45And he saw that the whole of that place was well watered, and good for man, and offering pasture for the cattle.
46And Lot went from Abram to that place, and there he pitched his tent, and he dwelt in Sodom; and they were separated from each other.
47And Abram dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and he pitched his tent there; and Abram remained in that place many years.